I played in the Mark W. Carey Memorial Open today. Unless you know Mark, you probably never heard of it. No one wins a Green Jacket. No one gets a check. And there is no one named Tiger teeing it up. The fact is, I didn't even know Mark. He was our sports producer Don Laviano's brother in law. Knowing Don's character, that makes Mark a great guy. But why you should you care? I hope in a few minutes for some of the same reasons that I do.

About two years ago, Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died just a few weeks later.
Gone. Just like that. He left behind a wife, two kids and lots of friends and family. So today's event was a fundraiser to help his family with the skyrocketing cost of education. Mark's girls are still young, but someday they will go to college.

I point all of this out on this otherwise perfect day in Connecticut to maybe make you stop and remember what is really important in life.

I could not have played any worse today. But who really cares. By the grace of God, I will go home tonight to my wife and three healthy kids. Too often in the sports world and in life we forget to count our blessings. I'm sure Mark Carey would tell you to count yours. Mark loved golf. But I think he would tell you now that missing a two footer isn't the end of the world

Saturday night I was in Boston with our best friends, Bob and Mary Place. There are no two better people that I've ever met, except maybe their son Jeffrey. I was nominated for an Emmy on a story we did on Jeffrey last year. He overcame five brain surgeries to return to Little League baseball. Jeffrey is doing much better now, but someday may have to revisit what remains of his tumor.

So when our story on Jeffrey didn't win an Emmy Saturday it was easy to have perspective. My lasting impression of his story (besides our meeting with Joe Montana, his favorite player who just happened to visit NBC 30) will be what his father Bob said, "just hug your kids and tell them that you love them."

Sometimes life really is that simple. It's not about making birdies. It's about making it easier for Mark Carey's kids to go to college. It's not about Emmy's. It's about a story that maybe inspired someone else going through a difficult ordeal.

Life is short. Sometimes shorter than we will ever know. Hug your kids. Tell them you love them. And remember what is really important. Thanks to Mark and Jeffrey for giving me a reminder.